1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to visually verifying the authenticity of badges or other security-related credentials.
2. Description of the Related Art
Badges are still one of the most common symbols of authority used throughout the world. Most security services, such as police forces, federal law enforcement, and even private agencies issue badges identifying the individual holding the badge as an authorized agent. Showing a badge is a common way of providing proof of authority to enter a restricted area, conduct a traffic stop, etc. However, a given individual is unlikely to be sufficiently familiar with a particular badge to know whether or not it is authentic, especially where the individual is simply a member of the public. Most people, when presented with a badge, simply assume that it is legitimate. This assumption, unfortunately, is not always justified. There are a number of reported cases of criminals posing as police officers and using a fake badge to gain unauthorized access or wrongfully take possession of property.
However, even when an individual wants to verify the authenticity of a badge, there is little information available to allow verification. Short of speaking with someone who can tell the individual how to determine whether or not the badge is authentic, the individual simply needs to either assume that it is or assume that it is not, in fact, authentic. Similar problems can affect other forms of identification or documents that purport on their face to be valid. For example, driver's licenses issue from fifty states, and most people, including security personnel, are not sufficiently familiar with the intricacies of each state to know whether the presented license is actually authentic. In short, when authorities present people with identification, they generally have to make an educated guess as to whether or not that identification is legitimate. Similarly, when an individual presents an authority with identification, that authority must often make a similar educated guess as to authenticity.
There is a need for a more rational system for determining authenticity of identification or other credentials. Ideally, such a system would allow a person to quickly and accurately verify whether an I.D. is valid or not.